USEFUL INFORMATION ON CALABRIA
Calabria — Useful Information
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Calabria, a region at the southern edge of the Italian peninsula, has begun to shed its image as one of the less developed regions in Italy. The development funds that the Italian government has been extending into the region are finally starting to bear fruits. International tourists have taken notice of the many charms of Calabria. Since 2008, many property developers have come in expecting to cash in on the growth of tourism, and profit from the expected 10% annual increase in real estate prices and 6% gain on property rentals.
Holiday resorts have sprouted on the wide expanse of beaches at the Ionian and Tyrrhenian coastline. At the forefront of this wave of resort development have been seen in the Calabrian towns of Tropea, Zambrone, Soverato, Amantea, Le Castella and Lamezia where the sandy beaches, superb sunny weather and warm sea combine as lures for tourists seeking new exciting destinations that are more affordable.
Transport infrastructures are already in place to make Calabria more accessible to local and international visitors. There are airports at Lamezia Terme and Reggio di Calabria. Visitors coming in via international flights from the airports at neighboring regions, such as Naples, wont have much traveling difficulty. Now a motorway, the A3, runs west down the coast, linking with the A1 up into northern Naples.
Apart from the attractions of sun, sand and sea, Calabria presents other offerings to tourists and the economic benefits they bring. One is the region’s rich cultural heritage that dates back to the classical times of Rome and Greece, artifacts from which are displayed in several Calabrese museums in addition to ancient ruins that could be found in abundance in the region. There are also historic churches, such as the Sanctuary of Santa Maria dell`Isola. This was a Benedectine sanctuary in the early Middle Ages. Restored more than once, it houses the famous “Black Crucifix”.
Calabria is also establishing itself as a producer of quality wines. A number of regional wines have already earned the Denominazione di Origine Controllata (DOC) label from the Italian government. Among these DOC wines are: Donnici, Greco Bianco, Bivongi, Ciro, Lamezia, and Sant Anna Isola. Most of these wines are not commercially available and primarily produced only for domestic consumption.
Festivals likewise make Calabria an ideal tourist destination. During the first week of September, the Festival del Peperoncino is celebrated in honor of the cayenne ingredient in Calebrese cuisine. Festivities center in the village of Diamante where one can have a sampling of Calebrese dishes making use of the spicy condiment, from pasta to gelato.
Other enticing cuisine that Calabria locals call as their source of pride includes the alici ripieni or stuffed anchovies. In some towns in the Cosenza province along the Ionian coast, the locals produce a spicy fish paste called sardella. This is a culinary concoction of olive oil, hot pepper (but of course) and mashed baby sardines.
Also common in Calabria are some Neapolitan specialties like braciole which is raciol in the Calabrese dialect.
Low-cost airline routes to Lamezia-Terme:
United Kingdom
London (Stansted)
Germany
Berlin (Tegel)
Cologne-Bonn
Dresden
Dusseldorf
Frankfurt (International)
Friedrichshafen
Hamburg (Fuhlsbuettel)
Hanover
Karlsruhe-Baden
Leipzig
Munich
Nuremberg
Stuttgart
Weeze
Italy
Bologna (Guglielmo Marconi)
Milan (Linate)
Milan (Malpensa)
Milan (Orio al Serio)
Pisa
Rome (Fiumicino)
Switzerland
Basel
Zurich
Category : Blog